Singapore: Modern French Dining Above the Clouds @ Jaan, Swissotel

After surging 72 floors to Jaan, I was guided to my seat and was instantly awed by the views from the table.  The service was friendly and the waitress stowed our coats away.   Jaan is no stranger to the fine dining scene and is highly ranked among its peers.  In Jaan’s recent assessment, the gastronomic institution ranked 74 in the The World’s Best Restaurant List 2015 and 11th on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant List.  But like always, numbers only mean so much if substance is not there.  So where does Jaan stand already congested Modern French dining scene?

The menu for today was the Artisanal degustation which is promises nothing but the best from the Chef.  For an added sense of excitement, the menu was not listed out.

The starter was a platter of “snacks” 

Attention to detail alert!  The crisp puff, the charcoal bread and the Chef’s interpretation of hummus with crackers, everything was creatively put together. 

Chef Julien’s “My Hummus”.  Can I have a jar to take home please?

The amuse bouche 

Mushroom emulsion with tea.  A frothy delicacy with little bits of crunchy puffs for texture.  

HOKKAIDO UNI, cauliflower, ‘Oscietra’ caviar

It’s been awhile since I was served something so pure, and so clearly composed.  The smooth, sweet and briny flavours paired sensationally with the creamy cauliflower puree.  Add the buttery, and mildly salted caviar for a food coma.  This was a very rich course but it did not leave the mouth tasting foul.  Top notch! On the side were some soldiers topped with micro-herbs and what I presume was cheese.  

Not sure why the soldier was served because the dish of Uni by itself was already heavenly by itself!

BEETROOT COLLECTION ‘Burrata artigiana’, honeycomb, horseradish

The beet root course is what one calls “perfect timing”.  After back to back indulgence from the hummus, mushroom foam and Hokkaido Uni, this dish provided a salvation like none other.  The inspiration from the plate made me reminiscence the Asparagus Course from Amuse.  From the beetroot Meringue, to the sorbet to the pickled beets, it was faultless.  The pairing of honey and buffalo cheese with the beetroot was unmistakably text book material but its something that drives the taste buds to a climax.  Even my dining partner JH was impressed by the substance on the plate!

ORGANIC EGG “JARDINIER” Garden peas,black garlic

Ham, peas and eggs, is a simple yet extremely classic dish native to several European countries.  To finish, it was topped with truffles, Jamon and pork crackling.  Execution was perfect.  Think buttery crushed peas, crispy crackling, and runny yolk, all of which was serenaded by a note of truffle.  No words required here.

CRISPY SKIN AMADAI Kabocha, in-house salsa

This is Jaan’s signature dish., the crispy skin Amadai.  The dish sports an unmistakably unique feature.  Its edible scales stick out gracefully on the plate which played a more textural role than flavour.  In one sentence, the Amadai was prepared very nicely with an in-house salsa but the Amadai was the least impressive course at Jaan.  When a fish course is a restaurant’s signature, I expect the same initial wow factor Testuya Wakuda’s Confit of Petuna Ocean Trout delivered.

HAY-ROASTED PIGEON White corn, foie gras, cabbages, cumin

This is Chef Julien’s forte,  a game bird from the Bresse province in France (info from others). Served medium, the presentation was absolutely sexy! To this day, I still imagine the juicy slices of pigeon breast!  On my first bite, the whiff of smokiness clouding the whole dish was mild but recognisable.  The gaminess of the bird was mild but add a small bit of Foie Gras and it lifted the game to a whole new level.  Boy this was great! 

Palate cleanser

CHOCONUTS ‘GRAND CRU’ Tastes & textures

Chocolate, chocolate, everywhere chocolate.  This is probably what I need on my final two days of work each swing.  But having it 72 storeys above ground at Jaan in Swissotel felt like the perfect setting.  Whilst I am still a bigger fan of the Death by Chocolate served at Petite Mort, the Grand Cru delivers a kick of chocolate in each bite.  Every element on the plate delivered a sensation of differing creaminess, sweetness, and texture.  Each of which easily earns a place on my tongue.  From the bubble texture to the reach mouse and brittle logs, it was booms!

APPLE sorbet, mint

Apple sorbet, crystals, and jelly.  It is hard to appreciate the course with its simple looks but as said before, looks can be deceiving.  Apple and mint to finish was smart thinking by the chefs at Jaan.  A description I use plenty of times, the dish delivered a finish that was clean and crisp.  

MIGNARDISE or simply, Petit Four.

The small oven creations were Jaan’s final course finished with a whimsical sense of creativity.  With the pouring of dry ice, a mysterious cloud hid a platter of what would eventually be revealed as Chocolate Macarons with mushroom filling, marshmallows, Canelé  and Chocolate pops filled with mint.  Technical faults were present across the board but after being so impressed by the Artisanal dego, I thought I would grant Jaan leniency.

If people call Jaan a good dining experience, I think the good just got better.  The level of dining I experienced was not one that comes by everyday.  From a Michelin perspective an easy 2 stars which is very close to a solid 3.  Dish after dish, JH and I both commended the thought that was presented with each course. From the pigeon smoked in hay to the beetroot collection and even more so with the ham,pea and eggs, these were simple yet enjoyable pleasures!  The execution of each course was flawless and the presentation was made artistic.  My only disappointment was the course of AMADAI fish which clearly showed that just because it looked great does not mean it taste great.  But then comes the humble bird which was Chef Julien's favourite and it absolutely sealed the deal at Jaan.  Dining with such food on the 72nd floor also made it feel as though you were dining in heaven.  This brings back good memories of me dining in Sepia, Sydney and Le Atelier de Joel Robuchon.  Happy days! To Chef Julien and his crew, thank you.

WenY

Singapore: db Bistro Moderne, Marina Bay Sands

db Bistro Moderne at Marina Bay Sands was my first meal in Singapore.  Lauded for its big mouth burgers and some French classic dishes, I was pretty gutted to have not tried the one in Manhattan, opposite the hotel I lived in after missing out on the 3 Michelin Star restaurant Daniel. So when my host suggested to have dinner in MBS’s db Bistro, I  was super keen.

db Bistro Moderne at MBS sports a very casual dining layout accented by red/white leather seats, vintage tiles and chic fittings.  The menu is extensive and they have introduced a new seafood platter, something which the wait staff were quite keen on selling.  Coming from Australia I was totally not biting the bait as I knew good seafood is cheap back home.

The complimentary bread basket:

Looking back when I had it was super delicious because it was 8.30pm and we had not eaten anything since lunch.  But thinking it through, the course was at best a decent bread basket with French butter. 

Our shared appetiser  of Tuna Tartare - main size ($30)

I love my tartare be it steak or fish and the one at db Bistro was pretty good.  However, I tend to prefer my tartare with minimal seasoning yet the Harissa marinated tartare proved to be a surprisingly good addition.  Its pairing with the cucumber and cool mint yoghurt paired to give the tartare a nice finish.  No fishy taste if you are concerned ;)

Duck confit, with a bean cassoulet and watercress salad ($42)

The serve was generous and the perfectly caramelised skin was superb to look at.  Its flavours were well-balanced and not overly salted. While the duck confit was a standout by itself, the bitter greens and mediocre bean cassoulet accompanying the dish did not settle well with JH’s palate.  

The Original db Burger Burger ($42)

This is easily the most talked about burger in Singapore.  Its patty made of fine mince consisting of sirloin filled with braised short ribs and Foie Gras is one of the juiciest in the business.  But its $42 price tag excluding tax also gives it bragging rights as it was the most expensive burger I have ever eaten only to be beaten by Robuchon’s Foie Gras burger at Joel Robuchon's Kagoshima and Foie Gras burger at Le’ Atelier.  But when it comes to flavour, its was yummy!  You get the creamy Foie Gras, juicy mince and finished with a melting note from the fatty ribs.

All in all, db Bistro Moderne was a really decent place for dinner that evening.  But was it as good as most people suggest it to be?  Perhaps not.  Even my dining companion JH who is usually proud of this db Bistro Moderne joint felt poorly about the Duck Confit that night which lacked attention to detail with the poorly finished bean cassoulet and bitter wilted greens.   The price tag in addition was not the cheapest too.  Without desserts, the price tag came close to a hefty $140.  

WenY

Siem Reap: A fine journey of temples and food.

Siem Reap is a little city North of Cambodia that relies very heavily on tourism.  Well-known for its magnificent Angkor Temples and night life at Pub Street, I found that Siem Reap had a lot more to offer than just that especially for foodies like me.The Khmer cuisine by itself is a little lacklustre due to the moderate use of spices and seasoning.  Being sandwiched by Thailand and Vietnam, i.e two of the greatest countries for foodies does not help either.

But look a little deeper and you will realise that there are several places in town that pay a little more attention detail and infuses techniques not known to traditional Khmer cooks to create a sensory pleasing journey.

Cuisine Wat Damnak

Asia’s 50th best restaurant is helmed by Joannes Riviere who seeks to re-creates the Khmer cuisine with a touch of French.  The flavours throughout the meal were very crisp.  The finish was clean and there were not lingering/overpowering flavours from the usual suspects of fine dining.

Mie Cafe

Mie Cafe was on my itinerary as an option, and not an essential until I dined at the restaurant. From the zesty salad course to the skimpy dish of grilled prawn with butter and the rich chocolate fondant at the end, it was just heaven on earth for Mie.

Course 1; Carpaccio of snake head fish with Cambodian spices, grapefruit and hazelnut oil dressing served with poached egg tempura at Mie Cafe. They say first impressions are the most lasting.

Haven Training Restaurant

A  social enterprise aimed at helping the vulnerable by teaching them an important life skill. As Haven's tagline suggests, “where helping taste good”.  That is because for most parts of the meal, it really was!  

Touich Restaurant Bar

The menu looked suspiciously Thai but the food from these two regions are fairly intertwined making it hard to tell them apart without tasting.  While I could not find the Khmer inspiration in the dishes here, it was safe to say that Touich Restaurant Bar presented to me some very well-executed dishes that regarded the Thai cuisine in the most respectable manner.  That is, by presenting it with quality and authenticity.

One of my last photos of the trip at the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest lake in South East Asian and home to more than 1,000 different villages


WenY

Siem Reap: A quality lunch at Mie Cafe!

The 5 AM Angkor sunrise tour in Siem Reap is a real tourist cliche.  But with nothing else planned and the promise of a spectacular view, I decided to trade good breakfast and some much needed sleep for a temple tour.  Something laughable. The private driver costs $35 for the day and the temple 1 day pass is $20 per person.  Highly recommended for parties wanting a quick tour as group tours are very draggy!

Cruising through the spectacular sights of Angkor Wat, the Bayon Temple and Angkor Thom showed me how these ancient superstructures heralded a preservation initiative by the Khmer government.  But scenic views does not keep a hungry stomach filled.  Not to mention the pack breakfast of cold bread reminded me of why I eat oatmeal instead.

After the temple tour, the private guide will always try to bring you to a restaurant which covers his meal and gives him commission. Fortunately, I found a place before coming and booked a table.  It was Mie Cafe which is located half-way between the temple roads and the city centre.  Just perfect as we were on our way home!  Mie Cafe is one of the many French restaurants with a Khmer inspired menu is Khmer graced with a touch of French.  As always, local produce gets first priority.  The tasting menu is $24 per person plus 7% tax.

To start was the Carpaccio of fresh snake head fish fillet cooked in fresh citrus juice with Cambodian spices, grapefruit and hazelnut oil dressing served with poached egg tempura.

This was a lovely salad!  Firstly, the ceviche was well-coated in a zesty citrus dressing.  Each mouthful of the salad was a bliss, thanks to the generous amount of mint, basil and chillies that made it extremely aromatic.  The oozy yolk from the tempura as well as the dollops of homemade mayonnaise brought the dish together very very nicely.  

(Samlor Pror herh) Crab meat emulsion with green peas, porhok fish and vegetable consommé, wild herb.

The purpose of this course was clear.  The consommé surrounding the barely marinated ingredients intended to rid the palate off the flavours from the rich starter earlier.  This course was hardly impressive but it served its purpose.  It left a clean aftertaste almost as though one had drank a glass of chilled unsweetened tea.  Neat.

Grilled prawn with Amok butter, roasted somanea seed, eggplant with coconut milk and dry cure ham.

When my 3rd course arrived at the table, I was shocked by the quantity on the plate.  But hey, its about the quality and not quantity right? haha.  If you manage to get past that stage, you will appreciate how the prawn was cooked to perfection. The buttery smell made me crave for more instantly!  Pair the prawn with the eggplant stewed with the cured ham and you are certain to get a curry like flavour.  This dish was small but absolutely deadly.

Fried pork with oven roasted giant eggplant, bell pepper and wild mushroom

This was the last savoury course and it looked typically Chinese.  But the immense refinement in cooking technique resulted in an unparalled eggplant dish.  Moist flavoursome mince and melt in your mouth aubergine was all the hype here.  There was some chilli in this dish but extremely mild.  Served with a bowl of rice, this was a dish to remember.  It was really delicious!

Hot and creamy chocolate fondant, homemade mango passion fruit sauce, served with vanilla ice-cream

Fresh out of the oven, I was not convinced by the sloppy presentation consisting of passionfruit and chocolate sauce.  But then, I cut the fondant into half.

And nothing else in the world mattered anymore.  It was simply delicious.  Rich, dark and well-toned sweetness.  This fondant was just spot on. The fruit and mildly acidic passion fruit help add dimension to the dessert and the whole thing just really worked.  If you ever get burnt by the super hot fondant, the ice cream helps :)!

Mie Cafe was on my itinerary as an option, and not an essential.  But after an afternoon dining on meals where everything was so good, I think future itineraries will have to be changed.  The food at Mie Cafe went well beyond our expectations.  From the zesty salad course to the skimpy dish of grilled prawn with butter and the rich chocolate fondant, it was just heaven on earth.  It was no wonder that the trainer at Haven Dining ranks Mie Cafe amongst his top dining destination.  A restaurant worth re-visiting!

WenY

Siem Reap : Is Cuisine Wat Damnak one of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants?

This year, St. Pellegrino recognised Cuisine Wat Damnak’s credentials by awarding it Asia’s 50th best restaurant.  Coming to Siem Reap, I knew I simply had to go. Cuisine Wat Damnak is located just minutes from my hotel the Royal Crown Hotel in Siem Reap which means I could walk to this little super star.   The 8 minute trek was short but not without its own excitement with the grounds unpaved and unchained stray dogs barking ferociously at us.  Lightning and thunder in the background did not help either.  But I guess its these little experiences that you bring home from holidays that spark good conversations.

Cuisine Wat Damnak is helmed by Joannes Riviere and re-creates the usual Khmer cuisine using locally sourced produce.  Every evening there are two menus; one of which incorporates a mixture of seafood and poultry or an all seafood affair.  It costs $24 for 4 courses and $28 for 5 courses. JH and I each decided to each try one of their 6 course tasting menu.  

Amuse Bouche - Wat Damnak’s squid ceviche.

Tender squid, mildly acidic and slightly sweet. It was a pretty good start but I tend to like my ceviche a little colder compared to the conventional serving temperature (i.e room temperature) as the chill helps keep the dish refreshing.

Menu 1, Course 1 - Caramelised palm sugar braised beef, pickled green papaya and rice noodles 

The flavours here are reminiscence of a Thai salad.  The core flavours are very similar to the Amuse Bouche but a much sweetened beef rillette made it yums!

Menu 2, Course 1 - Tamarind and chilli marinated fruit salad, boneless frog leg and herbs

A lovely stir-fry with tender frog flesh.  Decent flavours but I could  not really tell the jackfruit in the salad haha.  I think it was a younger type.

Menu 1, Course 2 - Prawn Ansam cake frilled in banana leaf, peanut sauce and cucumber salad

A unique dish that I truly enjoyed.  Plump juicy prawns wrapped in glutinous rice and grilled over fire on a banana leaf.  A mild fragrance swept across the plate as it arrived.  I was sold.  Sadly, the same cannot be said about the cucumber salad that was mildly bitter.  I would have preferred perhaps another form of salad or none at all on the side.

Menu 2, Course 2 - Steamed Maam with minced pork and egg, herbs, flower and local crudités

I liked this dish of JH’s but the presentation felt botchy and disconnected.  Served with a side of rice, I could not mix the dish up seamlessly as it should be.  Taste wise, it was creamy and all-round quite good.  But it was not a stellar dish.

Menu 1, Course 3 - Smoked fish and pork ribs soup, mushrooms, loofah and young taro roots

Smoked fish were super crispy and pork ribs were cooked till fall-off-the-bone tender.  Its soup base was potently salty which explains the presence of the rice to even the whole dish out.  Great textures of crisp fish and tender pork ribs paired well with the slightly springy mushrooms and tender taro roots.

Menu 2, Course 3 - Tonle Sap croaker fish sour soup with water lily stem an d cabbed leaves and pounded feroniella

The croaker fish soup is an instance where a simple fish is made outstanding.  The broth was slightly underwhelming as the flavours were not quite as pronounced as the curry I had later that evening.  It was OK over all.  Loved the way the fish carried a mild body of smokiness with it.

Menu 1, Course 4 - Sunday fish spicy curry with hot basil, pumpkin and dumpling.

The perfection of the slowly grilled crispy skin fish wins me over anything else.  My expectation of river fish is fishy but Cuisine Wat Damnak proved me wrong.  The fish was cooked so well it had mildly crisp skin with that whiff of smokiness just serenading my nostrils.  Spicy curry fish sauce was creamy and pleasant but not at all spicy.  Eat mouth were layers of flavours that were simply delicious.

Menu 2, Course 4 - Black sticky rice porridge with Mekong langoustine, glazed turnip, jasmine flower and sausage

The langoustine looked gracious sitting on a bed of slow cooked black rice porridge graced by sprinkling of little edible flowers and diced sausages.  The stock on which the langoustine’s sat on felt very French.  I do not have the correct words for it unfortunately!   It was an OK dish that lack a little flavour.  The porridge felt like a pairing too starchy for the final savoury course.  Even more so when rice was served at Courses 2 and 3.  A little too much rice!

Menu 1, Course 5 - Phnom Kulen vanilla panna cotta, cashew crumble, fresh mango and mango sorbet

This has got to be one of the best Panna Cotta I have ever had. It is simple but often made with imperfections.  Cuisine Wat Damnak did well with a silky smooth custard.  It brought it further by pairing the Panna Cotta with a cashew crumble which gave the dessert some nuttiness.  To finish, the fruity note of mango throughout the dessert resulted in a decadent dessert that leaves the palate refreshed.  I doubt anyone would have felt otherwise!

Menu 2, Course 5 - Steamed dark chocolate cake, rice praline and Pandan whipped cream.

The French and their love of rich chocolate desserts has been very well-documented in cook books and shows. But I never knew that steamed cake could be so decadently chocolatey and moist at the same time .  The cake here was soft and spongey with the little pieces of popped rice completing the dish with a crunch.  I unfortunately did not take a liking towards the fragrant Pandan whipped cream.  I wanted Pandan Ice Cream :)!  It would have been much better.  Just a personal preference though.

Cuisine Wat Damnak has literally came from nowhere and made a name for itself on the food Atlas.  From an even bigger picture perspective, it probably helped Siem Reap standout on the world map too.  For a country that lives on a mere $1-2 a day, this $30 meal is by no means a cheap affair.  But was it good?  It definitely was.  The flavours throughout the meal was very crisp.  The finish was clean and there were not lingering/overpowering flavours from the usual suspects of fine dining such as foie gras, sea urchin, and other fatty meats.  Progression was apparent as I went from start to end which is a nice thing to have. But to complement absolute perfection is a claim too farfetched. Execution at Cuisine Wat Damnak was a bit of a hit and a miss depending on which set menu you got.  Whilst I was absolutely satisfied with the poultry and seafood set (Menu 1), the same cannot be said for JH who found the all-seafood menu (Menu 2) a little mundane.  In saying that, it was not all doom and gloom but could definitely have been better.  Do I think Cuisine Wat Damnak deserves a ranking in Asia?  Definitely so!  Room for improvements?  Plenty.  That is what rank 1-49 is for!

WenY

Bites: Knee Deep Winery and Restaurant @ Johnson Road, Margaret River.

On the outskirts of Margaret River is another winery that sets the mood for the perfect afternoon.  Knee Deep is a boutique winery that does amazing lunches from its restaurant that benefits from its picturesque vineyard.  Coming in at 2pm, the service was prompt and we were seated in the restaurant which was heavily accented with wood and glass, a classic combinations!  Its a shame that some of the folding doors were closed!  It would have been really nice otherwise with the gentle summer breeze blowing.

To start, I decided to call a round of bite sized titbits for the table.

The tapioca cracker, sweetcorn curd and leek ash was a simple start that felt sophisticated yet simple enough to appreciate.  The crisp cracker paired with the sweet creamy corn curd was nice because the sweetness has some texture to mellow into.  The leek ash had some impact by means of a smokey fragrance but it was marginal at best.

The Knee Deep winery restaurant has strong dishes when it came to their appetisers.  My choice was the slow-cooked omelette, sweetcorn, manchego, and smoked capsicum relish.  It was a special dish that came out looking amazing.  The omelette was topped with tasty manchego cheese and it sat on a smooth corn puree.  On the outside, it was soft and fluffy whilst the insides were kept runny.  Taste wise, everything really matched and it was an enjoyable experience.

Dad’s appetizer to share with mom was the crispy lamb breast, peas, local plums and garlic nougatine.  Cooked to perfection, the meat was not gamey in anyway.  More impressive was how the lamb was really crispy on the outside!

My sister ordered the cured ocean trout with nori puree, edamame, oyster cream and rice crisp.  If you are a big fan of seafood, this is definitely for you.  However, if you are like me who only like odourless fish you might find the composition a little too fishy!  My sister loved every bit of it nonetheless!

The mains were another round of exemplary cooking.  Out of the 4 mains ordered, 3 were the the grilled Barramundi.  Knee Deep’s presentation was again the highlight of the afternoon.  The slice of fish looked great sitting on well-seasoned fennel salad (almost like the one at Tetsuyas).  Its seasoning was very minimal but complemented the fresh fish perfectly with its slightly citrusy notes.  It also had nice sauce but I reckon it could do with a little more salt.  My low point on the dish though, was the skin that could have been cooked more crisp!  But perhaps the disappointment of not having a crispy skin was relieved by the fact that the flesh was still superbly moist and juicy.  I am not a fish snob but one can definitely tells juicy-sweet fish meat from solid and powdery ones!

On the side, was a bowl of potato fritters tossed with kimchi and spicy mayonnaise.  To finish it, the potatoes were topped with some fried shallots.  The top pieces were the best bit due to the generosity of the fragrant shallots.  Potatoes as side are usually very one dimensional i.e. salty.  The potatoes at Knee Deep were special in the sense that it had the sour kimchi bits that made the potatoes mildy spicy and sour.  As a whole, it added a sense of appetite to the entire meal.  At the end though, it got a little sickening! Probably because I was eating the whole thing by myself lol.

Dad has a tendency to go Asian is very likely wherever we go but this time around, he picked the pork because everyone else around the table had the fish.

I reckon dad’s dish stole the show that afternoon.  He called the roasted Berkshire pork belly, with a hot & sour prawn salad, that tasted somewhat like a Som Tam.  The crispy pork belly was simply astounding.  Skin crisp just right, the meat still tender and the fatty layers in between were just nice.  It was not overly thick or sickening but just nice.  The salad on the side was also hard to fault because the salad dressing had a good balance between salty, sweet and acidity.  Not to mention some juicy prawns too. Just yums and it was definitely a good alternative to usual the pork & scallop pairing!

As a whole, the Knee Deep vineyard is an experience in Margaret River worth mentioning.  The food is honest, the produce fresh from the region and creativity on the plate was effective.  Knee Deep's attention to detail was sensational and the artistic plating is clear proof to this statement.  Also, to the money conscious, Knee Deep is not a vineyard that leaves your finances crying.  Without the happy endings of dessert, the bill came to a modest $220 including drinks for the table for 4 people.  Factor in the entertainment card and we only paid $170 for the meal.  Recommended?  Definitely so.  In fact, next time I will be returning for their degustation!

WenY

Bites: Leeuwin Estate Restaurant @ Stevens Road, Margaret River

South West Australia you awesome thing! It has been awhile since I took a trip to the region.  4 years or so I believe.  The tree-lined drive has always won my fancy and this time around it did not disappoint either.  My 4day trip down South over the long weekend was plenty enough to enjoy some of the region’s finest beaches and dining venues.  Leaving home at 9am, I reached just in time to enjoy lunch at the Leeuwin Estate Winery.

Mom and dad cringed at the thought of another big dollar bill after our unfortunate visit to Lamont’s last year.  Needless to say, I took pleasure in reassuring them not all establishments are built equal.  Seasons change, palates grow and menus evolve.  

To start, we ordered a loaf of bread $7 and a Charcuterie plank $38 with  cured wild boar meat, one with black truffle truffles and the other plain, pork Rillette, tomato chutney, liver parfait, gherkins, pickled peppers and bread.

Everyone had a bite into this decadent plank.  The offerings were vast and each element was surprisingly tasty.  But not as surprising as my dad wrapping the everything up in the slices of cured meats as though eating an inside out Peking duck haha.  Needless to say, it was a good starter.  Perfect for sharing across the table!

Our curious little appetiser, the scallops sashimi $26.

Consisting of three thinly slices of scallop, an avocado mousse and some salsa in a clear consommé, this was a refreshing bite for the afternoon.  Now, if only we could super size this!  I have to say, it was really small even for one person.

Finishing our appetiser, the service was prompt and courteous with the waitstaff asking us whether we were good to start the next course.  Receiving our positive nods, she cleared the table and came out with our mains just moments later.

Dad’s dish of grilled Tiger Prawns ($40~) served on a bed of Cous Cous with little dollops of Harissa.

Bright, presentable and every bit attractive, there was more substance to this than what meets the eye.  Well-cooked prawns, fruity Cous Cous and a sublime sauce to pair.  Whilst it sounded really simple, it was faultless.  

Mom’s fish of the day consisted of a grilled Snapper, Figs, and Prosciutto ($40~).

Mom was happy to be served what she ordered.  She was happy.  Very indeed!  On her behalf, a bite into this help me understood why. It was simply cooked to perfection.  A decent slab of fresh market fish crisp on top, juicy on the inside which condiments that actually make your tongue wag.  

My sis and I shared the 900 gram Rib Eye ($110) that came with a side of fries and salad.

Damn the steak came out looking grand.  As we were one of the first ones to have our mains served, I could tell that other tables decided on their mains based on what we had when they saw the steak come out.  The steak was a clear winner from that perspective. But was it really all that great?  For starters, our request for medium-rare came out closer to medium bordering well-done.  Whilst it was hardly praiseworthy, what surprised me was that the meat was still really tender despite not being perfectly pink in the middle?  Was it trickery to the eye? I wonder.  The condiments of mustards did not look as rich as the Harissa and Béarnaise served at Rockpool but the horseradish and English mustard played a big part in bringing out the flavours of the steak.  I really enjoyed it for some reason.  Holiday mood? :P

The chips were great.  Thinly cut, fried crisp and came served with a yummy aioli dip.  But as good as it was, I was more impressed with the chef’s accompanying salad for the steak. 

The mixture of hand picked garden herbs like mint, basil and coriander mixed with tiny bits of lettuce and rockets in a generous acid dressing was delicious.  Biting into herbs you get layers of fragrance and freshness pouring out.  Pair it with the steak and somehow the combination really worked!  In this instance it tasted so much better than Rockpool's chopped salad!

To end, we had some desserts to share around the plate

Flour-less orange and almond cake ($12)

Dark chocolate mousse with berry foam, sour cherry preserve and spiced grains.

Pineapple panna cotta, pineapple sorbet and a slice of pineapple.

The desserts on the table were all very decadent.  Our palate did not take liking to several elements like the fresh pineapple in the Panna Cotta because it was cut too deep into the core leaving a fibrous taste in each bite.  I also was not too impressed by the spices grain in the chocolate mousse as the ratio did not feel quite right.  But arguably my biggest displeasure was the lack of depth in the chocolate mousse.  It did not feel quite right.  Something was lacking for sure. In saying that, there were still very good desserts like the orange and almond cake. That was yums! 

Including a round of drinks before and after meal, the bill totalled to around $300 which was pretty decent for all the food we had.  To sum the service, ambience and quality of food, Leeuwin Estate really lived up to my expectations.  My booking here was rather unplanned as it turned out to be one of the restaurants with available tables and luckily enough, the food was up to standard.  Also, its elevated restaurant also ensured that the diners are blessed with views of its open field below

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